Newport School Committee Approves Pell Design

The Claiborne D. Pell Elementary School is one step farther on the road to construction after the passed the Thursday night.

The vote to approve was 5-2, with Robert Leary and Thomas Phelan opposing.

Leary took issue with the school’s exterior design, presented as part brick, part polished concrete. Although the front of the school was presented by HMFH architects as with the backside of the school constructed of concrete, Leary said he would not support the design unless it was made of brick throughout.

“That’s not Newport,” he said. “Brick is time tested ... Not seeing it really bothers me.”

Architect Laura Wernick said the color of the concrete material could be adjusted to mimic the look and texture of brick, and that drawing up alternate designs would push back the projected timeline and project costs. A completely brick school would cost another $250,000, she estimated.

The building committee recommended upgrades to the design that included superior lighting, a 100-kilwatt photovoltaic rooftop system, partial geothermal system, enhanced wall insulation and exterior rubber playing surface. Those upgrades would increase the eligible environmental reimbursements for the project.

If HMHF’s timeline proceeds on schedule, the demolition of should begin this August and be completed by September. Construction and renovation are anticipated to run from November 2011 to March 2013.

Before the vote, Wernick and Matt LaRue walked the audience and school committee through their plans, which included a 3-D, 360-degree visual representation of what the school would look like.

The design includes an upper and lower school in a “T” shape with a central cafetorium and gymnasium.  Each wing and floor includes special needs classrooms, bathrooms and academic space.

The cafetorium is not closed off and will be “part of the everyday life of the lobbies”  and can seat 300 students. For assembly seating, the cafetorium can hold 430 chairs with a performance platform, while the gymnasium can accommodate 770 chairs, allowing for a temporary stage.

Classrooms are configured around a small room for individualized or small group attention. Wernick said teachers welcomed the idea to promote targeted instruction and making access to the neighboring classroom more accommodating.

Pell Elementary will also include a media center, library and art room.

Wernick said stormwater was a frequently raised issue during the design phase, and they have incorporated an underground filtration system which will have stormwater flow into one of two underground retention systems.

Architect James Asbel, who has petitioned against this design, took to the podium during the meeting to question the safety of the bridge leading from the second floor to ground level. Asbel commended HMFH for the “internal relationships” within the school, however cited the bridge as a safety and falling hazard.

Superintendent John H. Ambrogi said the design had been approved as safe by the Newport Fire Department. The approved design package will now be submitted to the Rhode Island Department of Education.